Sheffield school panel votes to review longtime law firm
School Committee · Meeting of April 30, 2026
Sheffield school panel votes 8-0 to review its 20-year law firm as budget talks push toward a tense finish. The Southern Berkshire Regional School District School Committee formed an ad hoc committee, starting July 1, to evaluate legal counsel Murphy, Lemire and Murphy and other vendors ahead of November reorganization, over objections from longtime member Carl, who said "no one has said a word in 20 plus years about their adequacy, inadequacy, charges." Business officials told the panel a $518,000 school-choice offset brings the district's overall assessment increase to 8.3 percent, short of the committee's 6 percent target, with Sheffield alone facing a possible 7.1 percent hike. The meeting was the first since the district's new superintendent, Dr.
Ricca, signed a permanent contract. Teacher Amy Murray told the board during public comment, "But where have you been for eight years?"
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,049 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of April 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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